Collapsible box



Jan. 14, 1930.

N. NEUMAN l 1,743,681

C OLLAPSIBLE BD X Filed sept. Y27. 1927 A/ell 7726??? 5V Patented Jan. 14, 1930 PATENT vOFFICE NATHAN N'El'J'IAN', 0l' PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA Acontaminar.' nox Vappmmtnm mea september 27,1927. swarm. 222,288.

This. invention relates to an im roved collapsible box especially adapted or the reception of material such as articles of clothing.

It is customary to supply articles of clothing for sale in pasteboard boxes having labels on the ends thereof so that when the boxes are stacked in a store, the labels will be visible to indicate the character of the goods contained in the boxes.` These boxes are bulky and the storing of empty boxes takes up a considerable amount of space. It is therefore desirable, if possible, to use collapsible boxes rather than boxes which are rigidl made, so that their cubic capacity cannot varied according to contents. In the case of collapsible boxesheretofore known, however, it has been impossiblevto maintain on any wall thereof, a label under such conditions that the label will not be distorted when the boxes are collapsed. i

One object of this invention is to provide a box having a wall on which a label may 25 be placed, which wall is not distorted when the box is collapsed. A further object of this invention is the provision of a container which will be proof against moths. A still further object of this .invention is the provisionA of a container which may be sold with the articles and which may be used by the buyer as a permanent receptacle therefor.

In the drawing: Y

Fig. l is a perspective view of the imn proved box in a substantially collapsed condition.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the box showing one end thereof open and having a part broken away to show the interior thereof.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the box showing it as it appears when full.

Fig. 4 is a longitudinal cross section of the box in open condition.

The box comprises a top wall 2 and a bottom wall 4, joined along their longitudinal edges by collapsible side walls 6 and 8, which are so formed by having a fold line therein that they maybe collapsed to bring walls 2 and 4 into flat contact with each other, but which may be extended toprovide a space between walls 2 and 4 adapted for the reception of an article.

Walls 2, 4, 6 and 8 may be conveniently formed from a single sheet of heavy paper hag'ing its ends cut and pasted to form a tu e.

vWall 4 has an extension 10 formed at one end thereof which is adapted to form an end wall of the box when the box is in open or flat condition. This wall 10 is rovided with a flap 12 which may be secure to wall 2 by.adhesive or in any other suitable manner. Folds 14 and 16 of any suitable type may be provided adjacent the end wall 10 by folding the excess material to allow the box to be collapsed. The specific folds used form no part of this invention and are well known in the art and need not therefore, be specifically described.

Endv 10 is adapted to receive a label 18 4 which may contain data designating the At the opposite end from end wall 10,`

the bottom wall 4 is extended to form a closure flap 26 carrying one element 28 of a snap fastener, the coacting element 30 of.

which is carried by wall 2. Elements 28 and 30 engage to close the box when iaD 26 is folded about the Yfold line 32. It will be observed that fold line 32 is located inwardly of the end of wall 2, adjacent the open end of the box, so that when flap 26 is folded over the open end a portion of wall 2`is folded therewith, as is most clearly shown in Fig. l. Reinforcing tabs 34 and 36 are provided where snap fastener elcments 28 and 3Q are attached to the box.

sheet of moth repellant material, for example, tar paper, is secured on the inside collapse of the box. As shown in Fig. 1,

when the box is collapsed, walls 6 and 8 fold upon themselves bringing walls 2`and 4 substantiall into contact. At the same time, the portion of wall 2 outside of fold line 42 folds down into parallelism with the end v10 about fold means 22 and 24. Subsequently,

end 10 may be folded down upon wall 2 about its junction with wall 4, whereby a flat object is obtained. When the box is collapsed into this position, flexible portion 20 is substantially in the plane of end l0 and is iu fully extended condition. On the other hand, end `10 lies flat so that no distortion of label 18 carried thereby is produced.

When it is desired to Afill the box, it is opened up into the position shown in Fig. 4 and the contents may then be introduced through the open mouth. This type of box is especially adapted for an article such as a sweater, which is somewhat bulky but which will readily yield to pressure. The flap 26 is then closed over and the snap fastbottom walls joined along longitudinal edges extensible sides, and an endjoining sai top and bottom walls and being of greater extent between the top and bottom walls than the sides when the sides are in fullyextended condition.

2. A collapsible box comprising top and bottom walls joined along longitudinal edges by extensible sides, and an end joining said top and bottom walls and being of greater extent between the top and bottom walls than the sides when the sides are inener elements engaged with each other, prov ducing a package such as shown in Fig. 3, in which the walls 2 and 4 taper toward each other at the end adjacent the 'closure flap, while end wall 10 is approximatel at a right angle with walls 2 and 6. T e primary utility of flexible portion 2O will now be apparent. If the article contained in the l box tends to bulge the walls between the side walls 6 and 8 and to-extend them to a distance greater than their extensibility, flexible portion 20 allows wall 2 to bulge outwardly, while preventing, however, any inward movement of wall 10, which would tend to distort it and crease label 18. On the other hand, if another box or some other weight be placed upon wall 2, wall 2 may yield downwardly beyond fold line 24 to an ultimate position. in which fold line 22- may be considerably below line 24 to bring the flexible portion 2() in surface contact with the end wall 10. In such case again any distortion of end 'wall 10 is prevented. It will be observed from the foregoing discussion that this flexible portion 20 permits either excessive outward or inward movement of wall 2 without any distortion of wall 10. l

What I claim as my invention and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

l. A collapsiblebox comprising 'top and 

